Alternative visions of "yes"

Scotland's SNP government might be the independence movement's biggest voice, but there are plenty of others with ideas on how the nation could go-it-alone. Who are these visionaries?

Mr Sillars said: "In Place of Fear II offers a far more radical road, with better policies than those the SNP offers, through its White Paper.

"The book demonstrates what the Labour Party leaders have been keen to hide: that socialist ideas born in Scotland have always been obstructed by the London connection.

"Independence is not only for Scotland, but for the Labour Party too, and for socialists within it.

"Independence through a socialist programme will strengthen the position of working people and their families, and remove fear from their lives."

Mr Sillars said he hope his book would appeal to left-leaning Labour voters, arguing that the core SNP vote, plus Scottish Socialist Party, Greens and small number of Tories and Lib Dems, would not be enough to ensure a "Yes" vote.

Mr Sillars' views were echoed later by the chairman of campaign group Yes Scotland.

Former Labour MP Dennis Canavan said a Yes vote in the referendum would not represent a change in party allegiance to the SNP, but could instead herald the return of Labour to power in the first elections for an independent Scottish parliament.

Addressing a rally in Glasgow organised by Labour for Independence, Mr Canavan said: "By asking Labour voters to vote Yes in the referendum, we are not asking them to change their party allegiance.

"A Yes vote is not a vote for Alex Salmond or a vote for the SNP. On the contrary, independence could help secure the election of a Labour government in Scotland.

"Labour supporters can vote Yes in the referendum and then vote Labour in the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 2016."